Ukraine can "like all countries" decide for itself whether it wants to join the EU or not, says Putin's spokesperson Dmitrij Peskov.
But our position is, of course, entirely different when it comes to issues related to security, defense, and military alliances. There, we have a different attitude, and everyone knows that, he says at his daily briefing, according to Russian media.
Russia has, since the large-scale invasion began in February 2022, motivated it with a need for "security guarantees" and veto power over military cooperation that Ukraine chooses to engage in.
Opening for talks?
Vladimir Putin is willing to negotiate with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj "if necessary", according to the spokesperson. But he repeats earlier reservations that Zelenskyj would no longer have a mandate to do so.
Putin himself has said more than once that he is ready to negotiate with Zelenskyj, if necessary. At the same time, the legal establishment of an agreement raises serious questions, given the reality that Zelenskyj's own legitimacy can be questioned, says Dmitrij Peskov.
Russia has, for some time, questioned the Ukrainian president, referring to the fact that his formal term of office has expired. Ukraine has not held a new presidential election during Russia's ongoing invasion and occupation, as martial law prevails.
Russia's reluctance to meet with Zelenskyj in talks has shifted gradually during the war. From previously flatly rejecting Zelenskyj's government as a "Nazi regime", the explanations have taken on a more practical meaning.
If we start negotiations now, they will not be valid, Putin said on Russian state TV at the end of January.
Meet without Ukraine
Dmitrij Peskov speaks at the same time as a Russian delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets with an American delegation led by US Senator Marco Rubio, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It is the first formal meeting between the countries since the outbreak of the war, and the stated intention is to create conditions for some kind of stop to the war. But Ukraine is not participating in the talks.
